had shrunk to not less than 6/2 inches nor more than 

 9, point to point not less than 15 nor more than 17 5/21 

 and to be without plumes.'' This generally remained the 

 pattern through the 1820s. The 1816, 1821, and 1825 

 regulations specify no change. No specimen conform- 

 ing to the.se measurements which can be attributed to 

 the Regular Army is in the national collections. 



The 1832 uniform order brought a distinct change. 

 Hats for general officers were to be 



cocked, without binding; fan or back part eleven 

 inches; the front or cock nine inches; each corner, six 

 inches; black ribbons on the two front sides .... 

 black silk cockade, six inches diameter; loop gold 11 

 inches long, ornamented with a spread silver eagle; 

 gold rays emanating from the eagle 2/2 inches com- 

 puting from the center, terminating in 24 silver stare, 

 plain or set with brilliants. 



The plume for "A Major General Commanding in 

 Chief" was to be "yellow swan feathers, drooping from 

 an upright stem, feathered to the length of eight 

 inches." The plume for all other major generals was 

 to be "the same shape and materials, except that it will 

 be black and white equally divided, the black below,"' 

 that for brigadier generals to be similar with the colors 

 "red and white, the white below." Ta.ssels were to be 

 "gold with worked hangere." Staff officers were author- 

 ized the same excepting the rays and stars, with the 

 eagle gilt instead of silver; tassels were to be gold, with 

 the plume the same as for general officers "with the 

 distinction of colors to designate the Departments of 

 the Staff." An exception was the Corps of Engineers 

 for which a plume of three black ostrich feathers was 

 prescribed. The hats could be "either opened or fomicd 

 so as to shut like that hat which has heretofore been 

 designated chapeau de bras." " Field officers of the line 

 were not authorized the chapeau for wear with their 

 units, a circum.stance which brought complaints from 

 the field. '^ They were allowed, however, when not sen- 

 ing with troops, to "wear cocked hats of the same de- 

 scription as those prescribed for general .staff officers, 

 except that the loop [was to] be of black silk; the eagle 

 yellow, the tassels to conform to the color of the 

 button." ^- 



Several specimens of this hat have survived, includ- 

 ing tho,se of Alexander Macomb (fig. 6) , Commander- 

 in-Chief of the Army, 1828-1841,'' and Thomas 

 Swords, an 1825 Mihtary Academy graduate who 

 served as a quartermaster for many years, and several 

 others. All are of black beaver, are "open," or fitted to 



.V »■ 



Figure 6. — Macomb Chapeau, 1832 pattern. 



the head, and conform clo.scly to the regulations. The 

 gold loop is interesting, in each case being made up of 

 whorls of four strands of narrow gold braid and orna- 

 mented with horseshoes, lozenges, and buttons of gold 

 braid, with the lower center button the appropriate uni- 

 form button of the wearer in each case. In two speci- 

 mens the eagles on the loop do not carr)- a rii)bon in- 

 scribed "E Pluribus Unum" in their beaks. The plume 

 holders are set vertically behind the cockade. At each 

 corner between the cock and fan is the "ta-ssel — gold, 

 with worked hangers," that is, an acorn of gold braid 

 with strands of hea\y jjraid attached. The cocks and 

 fans, although stiffly vertical, are tied together with 

 black ribbon. The sweatbands are of black patent 

 leather fitted with drawstrings with the makers' labels 

 on the silk crown lining." 



In 1838 the Bureau of Topographical Engineers was 

 separated from, the Corps of Engineers and established 

 as an independent entity, the Corps of Topographical 

 Engineers.'" In May 1839 it was authorized its own 

 uniform. The hat was identical to that prescribed for 

 officers of the general staff in 1832 with the exception 

 that the plume was to be black and the button of the 

 Corps was to appear on the lower portion of the loop.'*" 



General Order No. 7, Headquarters of the Army, 

 18 February 1840, which authorized a number of 

 changes in the uniform of the Corps of Engineers, de- 

 scribed the hat : "same as for General Officers, except 

 that the corners are to be four and a half inches long, 

 instead of six" and the loop to be a "plain gold strap, 

 two inches wide, raised embroidered edges; orna- 



285-667 O— 69- 



